SACRAMENTO—California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols issued the following statement today after the Obama Administration announced it had adopted a national clean cars rule modeled after California's first-in-the-nation vehicle emissions standard:

"Today's final step in fulfilling a commitment President Obama made when he ran shows what can be accomplished when states take the lead and the federal government backs them up. For eight long years California and the thirteen other states that adopted our tough standards led the way. This action by the White House now means consumers in all fifty states can benefit from cleaner, more efficient cars.”

On February 25, California took the final step to complete its commitment to the agreement announced last May by the Obama Administration to establish national greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards.  (See the February 25, 2010 ARB press release for details of that action by ARB.)